Estrogen is often singularly characterized as a “sex hormone” that starts menstruation, is crucial for pregnancy, and whose decline ends your ability to reproduce. The reality, however, is that estrogen plays a key role in multiple organ systems, glands, and areas of the body that can impact daily and long-term health. Learn more about what estrogen is, how it affects different body systems, and how it benefits your overall health and wellbeing.* 

How Estrogen Functions as a Sex Hormone

Estrogen initiates and regulates menstruation, as well as the growth of breasts and pubic hair in both cisgender and transgender women. In cisgender women, the hormone is produced by the ovaries and increases significantly for a certain timeframe each month as the body readies itself for fertilization. Menstruation occurs when these levels start to decrease and the uterine lining, lacking the implantation of a fertilized egg, is shed.

How Estrogen Functions in Other Parts of the Body

In addition to its key role in the reproductive cycle, estrogen helps maintain optimal health and function in different parts of the body as well, including but not limited to: 

Your Heart. There are multiple ways in which estrogen can help to preserve and maximize heart health. It protects cardiovascular tissue, helps regulate blood pressure, improves cholesterol (increasing the good cholesterol known as HDL and decreasing the bad cholesterol known as LDL), and can even help to lower triglycerides. 

Your Brain. People know that estrogen is associated with mental health and brain function, but there are complex causes for this association. Estrogen helps regulate cerebral blood flow, fights inflammation that can lead to disease and damage, and can improve memory, recall, and coordination. Research published by the North American Menopause Society links the amount of estrogen circulating in a person’s system to their long-term brain health. 

Your Muscles and Bones. Menopause and osteoporosis are closely linked because as estrogen declines, bone health becomes compromised. Estrogen plays a key role in strengthening bones and muscle mass. Experts often recommend calcium supplements or calcium-rich foods as part of the pre-menopause lifestyle to protect against this effect. 

Your Mood and Mental Health. Beyond the simplistic connection of menopause and mood swings with which we’re all familiar, there is a real neurobiological correlation between estrogen and certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Estrogen helps to regulate serotonin, the brain hormone associated with positive feelings, and can also aid in the release and processing of endorphins. It can also preserve nerves in the brain and stimulate their future growth. 

Your Sexual Experience. Unsurprisingly, estrogen also plays a key role in sexual function and pleasure–specifically vaginal lubrication–which increases sexual pleasure. Vaginal dryness after menopause can contribute to a lower sex drive. 

These are just a few of the many benefits that estrogen has on your health and overall wellbeing. 

Preserving Estrogen during Menopause 

In order to balance and maintain estrogen levels during and after menopause, your doctor may recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The risks, benefits, and criteria for HRT will vary, based on patients’ overall health, symptoms, care needs, and quality of life. Work closely with your doctor to decide if it’s right for you. 

*Cleveland Clinic. (2022, January 5). Estrogen: What It Does and 5 Benefits. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-does-estrogen-do/